World Cup hits sweet spot in changing Orlando, U.S.

The World Cup remains red-hot as a global phenomenon, but in Orlando reaction to this year's soccer tournament reveals a changing culture and a booming audience bolstered by nationalism, technology and the sport's personalities.

Shawn Bartelt has witnessed the changes professionally and personally. As general manager of local ABC affiliate WFTV-Channel 9, she has seen the audience for her station's World Cup telecasts grow 33 percent from four years ago.

At home, Bartelt is amazed that her 16-year-old son follows the matches.

"He doesn't watch a lot of other sports, but he has been glued to this," she said. "This next generation coming up, they play a lot of soccer in school. They understand it."

That fascination suggests many Americans are overjoyed to be part of the world's biggest sporting event. This is certainly true in Orlando, which has been one of ESPN's highest-rated markets.

"It's a relatively diverse market," said Scott Guglielmino, an ESPN programming executive. "Major League Soccer is coming to Florida in a big way. It bodes well for that." Orlando City, a local team that just signed Brazilian star Kaká, is poised to join Major League Soccer next year.

"Washington, D.C., is another top market. It's a diverse area," Guglielmino added. "To me, a lot of it has to do with demographics. The U.S. demographics are rapidly changing, and that bodes well for the sport of soccer. It's a world game. We're looking more diverse as a country every day."

You can see that diversity at Central Florida restaurants and bars packed for the World Cup. Attorney Melissa Munroe was astonished at the party atmosphere for a Colombian match at Garibaldi Mexican Restaurant in Orlando.

"We walked in right as the match ended, and it was incredible," said Munroe of Orlando. "At least 100 people dressed in yellow soccer jerseys screaming at the top of their lungs, then singing the Colombian national anthem. It was kind of crazy but cool, and you couldn't help but be happy for them."

The TV ratings hint at the World Cup's popularity this year, and the United States' matches boosted viewing on ESPN and Univision. The U.S.-Portugal contest was tops, with 24.7 million viewers across both channels, followed by U.S.-Belgium, with 21.6 million viewers.

With the United States out, the ratings dropped, but millions of fans still watched. In World Cup quarterfinals during the July Fourth holiday weekend, Colombia vs. Brazil drew 11.8 million viewers across ESPN and Univision; the Netherlands-Costa Rica match registered 10.8 million. The men's Wimbledon tennis final between Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic averaged 2.4 million viewers Sunday on ESPN.

In Orlando, the U.S.-Belgium match was last week's most-watched telecast, with 323,185 viewers across ESPN and Univision. Yet those strong ratings don't reflect people who watched in bars, restaurants, airports, hotels and vacation homes.

"It's fair to say the World Cup has broken through in the United States," ESPN's Guglielmino said.

He attributed improved ratings to nationalism and the World Cup's one-month duration.

"The World Cup is where fans have a primary team or multiple teams they're rooting for," Guglielmino said. "You studied abroad, you're pulling for those teams as well. It's a wonderful, rich, short story. It's not league play where it takes months to stay in touch with. It happens quickly."

Some celebrities have bemoaned the new interest in soccer.

"Any growing interest in soccer can only be a sign of the nation's moral decay," conservative columnist Ann Coulter wrote.

Basketball legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, writing for Time, dismissed soccer because the sport "doesn't fully express the American ethos as powerfully as our other popular sports." He predicted: "Once the World Cup is over, soccer in the U.S. will return to its sick bed and dream of glory."

Charley Williams, who helped bring the World Cup to Orlando in 1994, disagrees. "Soccer has (finally) hit its sweet spot all across the USA," he wrote in an email.

"Hosting WC 94 here in Orlando opened a lot of eyes," said Williams, 62, who did not play soccer growing up. "Those 20-30-somethings are now 40-50 with their own kids growing up playing/tracking both U.S. men and women national teams as well as the WC in between."

Soccer is growing rapidly in the United States, agreed Juan Carlos Rodriguez, president of Univision Deportes. "The success we have seen across our platforms throughout the 2014 World Cup is a testament to the popularity of live sports and soccer in particular, he said. "Our viewers tune in to Univision, UniMás and Univision Deportes Network on broadcast and via digital and mobile to experience our 24-7 coverage."

WFTV's Bartelt also cited technology in soccer's boom.

"People are watching with their apps," she said. "This is a sport that has benefited from high-definition television. You see it so much better than you did in the old days."

Viewers can see the players more clearly, too, and how attractive many are.

"I have not always been this into soccer," said attorney Munroe, a Tampa Bay Bucs fan. But David Beckham, the handsome soccer star, boosted her interest. "I think Tim Howard is good-looking, and what a wonderful player," she said of the U.S. goalkeeper.